December 12, 1997
November 1, 2002
Santa vs. the Snowman (also known as Santa vs. The Snowman 3D) is a half-hour computer-animated Christmas special that aired on ABC in 1997. In 2002, the special was released in IMAX 3D, with new scenes at the beginning and end of the film.
Storyline[]
A lonely Snowman has no friends and never learned to speak because nobody was around. Instead, he plays his flute for the stars every night. On one particular night, the stars answer back, a flash of light zooms past the Snowman and shatters his flute. Consumed with curiosity, the Snowman sets off to find out what created the mysterious light. Eventually, the Snowman finds himself at Santa's Village. The Snowman enters a toy workshop, where elves are making toys. Another elf comes into the workshop with its owner, Santa Claus. While Santa is chatting with his elves, who praise him highly, the Snowman finds a red and gold flute in the workshop. After grabbing the flute, an alarm goes off. The Snowman retreats, but Santa sends some of his elves to retrieve the flute. While being chased, the Snowman drops the flute, and hides from the elves by jumping off a cliff. He grabs an icicle stalactite, waiting for them to leave. After the elves retrieve the flute and return to the village, the Snowman heads home.
The Snowman cannot stop thinking about Santa and his wonderful workshop. It seems that Santa has a marvelous home, many friends, plenty of toys, and is loved by everybody, but he wouldn't let the Snowman have the flute. The Snowman imagines himself as Santa, giving out toys, loved by everyone. At that moment, the Snowman thinks, "Why should Santa keep all that love, good tidings, and friendship for himself? That didn't seem fair. Maybe, it's time someone else got to be Santa?" With that, the Snowman forms a plan to take Santa's spot. The Snowman sneaks onto a guided village train tour, where he takes pictures with a camera disguised as an ice cream cone. The Snowman gets off the train and admires Santa's sleigh, where he is noticed and kicked out. The Snowman then makes various equipment for invading the workshop, and snowman minions to help him, becoming a much more devious Snowman.
The Snowman and his minions invade Santa's Village, but Santa sends his elves to fight back, in a chaotic battle. The elves attempt to melt and blow up the snowmen while the snowmen spew snowballs at the elves. Since Christmas is only hours away, Santa decides to help his elves end the conflict, and enters the battle in a large Nutcracker mech. The Snowman unleashes a snow monster, but Santa's mech defeats the monster by shrinking it with a heat gun. Just when it seems that Snowman is about to surrender, many more of his minions appear, greatly outnumbering Santa's forces. With that, Santa and his elves are imprisoned in an ice cage, and the Snowman leaves to deliver toys.
The Snowman, feeling wonderful because everyone will soon love him, soars above the rooftops in a snow replica of Santa's sleigh, while his minions act as his reindeer. The Snowman arrives at a little girl's house and enters through the front door. An elf named Flippy frees Santa and his elves, and Santa heads to the Snowman's location. The Snowman gives the girl an ice doll, but the doll shatters, and his other toys melted near the fireplace. Santa arrives and gives the girl a real doll. Instead of punishing the Snowman, Santa, knowing the Snowman regrets what he did, gives him the flute he attempted to steal. Santa explains to the Snowman that the flute always belonged to him because Santa accidentally broke the other flute, and that he could've given joy to people on his own, without taking over Santa's operations. As they are about to part ways, the Snowman discovers that his sleigh and his minions had melted from the heat of the little girl's chimney. Santa offers the Snowman a ride back home, and they become friends.
Sound Effects Used[]
The original 1997 TV special mainly used sound effects from The General Series 6000 Sound Effects Library and the Series 4000 Hollywood Sound Effects Library. In the 2002 IMAX 3D version of the film, extra sound effects from the Hanna-Barbera Sound Effects Library, Warner Bros. Sound Effects Library, and Cartoon Trax Volume 1 were added.
- Hollywoodedge, Sm Dirt Rock Spill CRT052401 (Heard in a high pitch in the 2002 version.)
- Hollywoodedge, Various Duck Quacks CRT011301 (Heard in the intro of the 2002 version.)
- Hollywoodedge, Wet Splats Various CRT052302 (Heard in a high pitch in the outro to the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, ALARM, CAR - DISARM CAR ALARM, AUTO
- Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL DEATH SCREAM
- Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 05
- Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 06
- Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 09
- Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 11
- Sound Ideas, BOINK, CARTOON - BOINK 01 (Heard in a high pitch in the outro to the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, BUZZER, GAME SHOW - GAME SHOW BUZZER: SHORT
- Sound Ideas, CAMERA - 35 MM SLR WITH AUTO WINDER: SINGLE SHOT
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON - WHIRL, SNAP, SPIN, SMACK, TWIRL AND DING (Whirl only; heard in a high pitch and low volume in the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, ACCENT - BELL HEAD SHAKE, MUSIC, PERCUSSION 02
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, ACCENT - WHIZ, BONKS
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, BOING - JEWS HARP BOING (Heard in a high pitch in the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, BOING - JEW'S HARP BOING, MEDIUM
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, BOING - JEW'S HARP BOING, SHORT 01
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, BONK - WOOD BONK 05
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, DIT - SMALL SMACK 03
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, DUCK - QUACKING, ANIMAL, BIRD 02 (Heard in a high pitch in the intro of the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, POP - SMALL POP 01
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, POP - ZIP, POP, BONKS
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, POP - ZIP, POP, DONK 01
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, SWISH - SHARP VOCAL SWISH 01 (Heard in a high pitch in the outro to the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, TWANG - WOBBLING TWANG (Heard in a low pitch in the blooper reel from the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, WHISTLE - FALL WHISTLE, SHORT
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, WHISTLE - SHORT ZIP (Heard in a high pitch in the intro of the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, WHISTLE - SLIDE WHISTLE, COMICAL, DOWN
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, ZIP - RISING ZIPS (Heard in a low pitch in the blooper reel from the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, COMEDY, ACCENT - SLIDE WHISTLE UP
- Sound Ideas, COMEDY, ACCENT - WHOOP WHISTLE: SHORT
- Sound Ideas, ELECTRONIC - MAGICAL POOF 05 (Used for the igloo AT-ATs' footsteps.)
- Sound Ideas, EXPLOSION - INCREASING RUMBLE LEADING TO EXPLOSION
- Sound Ideas, HUMAN, KISS - SHORT KISS
- Sound Ideas, PLUCK, CARTOON - VAROOP (Heard in the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, POP, CARTOON - HOYT'S POP (Heard in the blooper reel from the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, POP, CARTOON - POP GUN 01 (Heard in the blooper reel from the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, POP, CARTOON - POP GUN 02 (Heard in the blooper reel from the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, POP, CARTOON - POP GUN 03 (Heard in the blooper reel from the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, PROJECTOR, FILM - 16 MM PROJECTOR: START, RUN, STOP, MOVIE
- Sound Ideas, RUN, CARTOON - WIND WHISTLE SCAT (Heard in a high pitch in the blooper reel from the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, SCI FI - WEIRD SHIP PULSE (Heard in a high pitch in the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, SLIDE, CARTOON - FIDDLE SLIDE UP, SHORT 01 (Heard in a high pitch in the outro to the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, SLIDE, CARTOON - QUICK SLIDE UP AND DOWN (Heard in the intro and outro of the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, SPACE, COMPUTER - SPACE SHIP CONSOLE: BEEP, ELECTRONIC, SCI FI 01
- Sound Ideas, SPACE, COMPUTER - SPACE SHIP CONSOLE: BEEP, ELECTRONIC, SCI FI 02
- Sound Ideas, SPACE, MOTOR - SPACE MOTOR, MALFUNCTIONING
- Sound Ideas, SQUISH, SLIME - VARIOUS SLIME SQUISHES AND OOZES, HORROR (high pitched)
- Sound Ideas, THUMP, CARTOON - TUBE THUNK 01 (Heard in the blooper reel from the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - BIG WHISTLE ZING OUT (Heard in a high pitch in the 2002 version.)
- Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP OUT (Heard in various pitches in the 2002 version.)